”With DirectAccess, our remote users don’t have to connect through a VPN client, and they don’t have to authenticate with another network. We’ve saved them a step.”

Alan Olegario, Systems Performance Engineer, News America Inc.

News America Inc. (NAI) provides corporate services to News Corporation, a global media company. Based in New York, where cubicle space is expensive, NAI has many employees who work remotely. NAI is deploying the Windows Server® 2008 R2 and Windows® 7 operating systems with the DirectAccess feature to simplify remote connectivity. NAI will use DirectAccess to improve users’ experience, streamline management, avoida virtual private network hardware purchase, and help achieve green IT goals.


Business Needs

News Corporation, a diversified global media company, produces and distributes news, sports, and entertainment through more than 30 television and cable networks, more than 20 newspapers, movie studios, book publishers, and Internet ventures. Its principal U.S. subsidiary, News America Inc. (NAI), houses a corporate office that provides legal, financial, and human resources services.Based in New York City, NAI has about 350 employees.

“With the price of New York real estate,” says Alan Olegario, Systems Performance Engineer at NAI, “cubicle space is expensive. So the company encourages people to work from home and share office space with other remote employees.” He estimates that 30 percent of NAI employees work remotely at any given time.

Thus, NAI has long sought to provide remote employees with full access to corporate resources. For example, the company offers access to several financial applications through the Microsoft® Intelligent Application Gateway (IAG) 2007 remote access portal. It also uses Microsoft Office Outlook® Web Access to provide all remote users with access to their e-mail. Olegario says, “We’re always looking for new and better technologies.”

NAI uses numerous other Microsoft applications, and in early 2009 it began migrating from the Windows Server® 2003 operating system to Windows Server 2008.

Marc Cacciola, Senior Director of Technology and Operations at NAI, was concerned about the aging virtual private network (VPN) solution being used at NAI. It lacks support for 64-bit clients and has become a management burden because software needs to be maintained on every VPN client. Furthermore, he realized that the numerous methods of remote access offered to users became overwhelming. Because of these challenges, Cacciola says, “Some users were simply giving up on remote access.”

NAI wanted a solution that would simplify remote access, making the process easier for both users and administrators.

Solution

In May 2009, NAI learned about the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system. IT staff believed that features in the new software could help aid remote workers, and management approved working with a prerelease version.

Olegario was particularly intrigued by the DirectAccess feature of Windows Server 2008 R2 and the Windows® 7 client operating system. DirectAccess simplifies remote access by connecting client computers to the corporate network without the need for a VPN. Because the connection happens automatically as soon as the computer has Internet access, users don’t need to do or configure anything.

NAI started testing Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise in early June on its HP ProLiant DL360 G5 server computers. NAI also uses the HP Systems Insight Manager and the Integrated Lights-Out Advanced Pack to maintain a stable, highly available server environment.

NAI is planning to upgrade from IAG 2007 to Microsoft Forefront™ Unified Access Gateway, and it is upgrading several mobile users to Windows 7. NAI expects to roll Windows Server 2008 R2 into full production by November 2009. At that point, all employees using Windows 7 will be able to access the corporate network through DirectAccess. They will be able to work as if they were in the office—regardless of where they are located. “Every portable computer will be using DirectAccess,” Cacciola says.

Going forward, Olegario expects to investigate other features of Windows Server 2008 R2. For example, Network Access Protection is a feature that verifies that a client computer meets system health requirements—such as having security updates and anti-malware definitions installed—before making the DirectAccess connection. NAI is also interested in Remote Desktop Services, which is the new generation of Terminal Services, and BranchCache™, which improves data access by locally caching frequently used content on a branch office network.

Benefits

With Windows Server 2008 R2, NAI will gain an improved experience for remote users, streamlined and cost-efficient management, and progress toward corporate green IT goals.

Improved user experience. “Ease of use is always important to us,” says Olegario. “With DirectAccess, our remote users don’t have to connect through a VPN client, and they don’t have to authenticate with another network. We’ve saved them a step.” By connecting with DirectAccess, users gain access to 64-bit technology without any workarounds. Olegario says, “It’s just like they’re in the office, and they can work as they normally would.”

Streamlined management. DirectAccess also eases management tasks for the IT department. “With DirectAccess, it’s like the user is on the local area network,” Olegario says. “We can manage everything remotely.” He estimates that this will eliminate one or two work items a week for the IT department. NAI will also save money, including U.S.$25,000 that had been earmarked for new VPN hardware. Most importantly, the IT staff can improve security by regularly updating software on users’ machines. “DirectAccess gives us tight control over all the devices on our network, whether they are remote or local,” Olegario says.

Progress toward green IT. By using DirectAccess to improve the effectiveness of remote workers, the NAI IT department contributes to corporate objectives to lower energy usage, because remote workers aren’t using energy resources commuting to an office. Furthermore, because workers can be as effective from home as they are in the office, NAI has reduced demand for office space, which cuts costs for heating, cooling, and rent. “Thanks to DirectAccess,” Olegario says, “our employees will be able to seamlessly work remotely, resulting in lower costs for office space.”

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2008 R2 is the latest version of the Windows Server operating system from Microsoft. With Windows Server 2008 R2, you can create solutions that are easier to plan, deploy, and manage than with previous versions of Windows Server. Building on the features, security, reliability, and performance provided by Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 extends connectivity and control to local and remote resources. This means that your organization can benefit from reduced costs and increased efficiencies gained through enhanced management and control over resources across the enterprise.

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Windows 7

Built on the Windows Vista® foundation, Windows 7 will help make users productive anywhere, enhance security and control, and streamline PC management. The investments in Windows 7 are shaped by the evolving needs of end users and IT professionals in the enterprise. Users are becoming more computer-savvy and expect more from the technology they use at work. They expect to be able to work from home, from branch offices, and on the road with the same level of productivity. As user needs have changed, the demands on IT professionals have increased. Today, IT professionals must provide more capability and greater flexibility for users while continuing to minimize cost and security risks.

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